Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Curiosity Navcam Left B image taken on Sol 1300, April 3, 2016.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Now in Sol 1301, NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has pulled up near the edge of the Naukluft plateau, driving across “Stimson” bedrock.

Reports Ryan Anderson, a planetary scientist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona: The over the weekend plan called for a Sol 1300 trio of Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) observations of the bedrock target “Bero” and fracture targets “Iona”, and “Arco” along with Mastcam documentation.

This was followed up by Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) and Mastcam images of Bero before and after brushing off the dust. MAHLI also has some images of “Gudaus” and measurements using the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) are on tap to evaluate the composition of Gudaus and Bero.

Brushing off dust of Bero, recorded by this Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) image taken on April 2, 2016, Sol 1300.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Interesting layers

In the early morning on Sol 1301, Mastcam was slated to take four mosaics of various portions of the Stimson unit.

“These include areas with fractures and nodules, as well as some interesting layers in a nearby outcrop,” Anderson adds.

Curiosity Navcam Left B Sol image from Sol 1298, March 31, 2016.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

After that, the plan calls for a Curiosity drive about 165 feet (50 meters) and collect standard post-drive images.

Peace Vallis

On Sol 1302, Anderson explains, Navcam and Mastcam are to acquire atmospheric observations, and ChemCam has a long-distance observation of Peace Vallis, the large valley carved into the northern rim of the crater. Peace Vallis is an outflow channel in Gale Crater.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Mastcam is to then round out the day with a large 360 degree panorama from the rover’s end-of-drive location.

Dates of planned rover activities are subject to change due to a variety of factors related to the Martian environment, communication relays and rover status.